The Warlord's daughter
by The Happy Pessimist
Summary: Zhanna Godkova starts her journey through Scanra, and meets an amazing stranger, and a hyper one. Please Read
1. The Vow

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything you recognize.  
  
I am Zhanna Godkova. My father is the Scanran King Mikhial Kovan. My father married my mother for power, since she was Scanra's Queen. Scanra has been united since Maggur Rathhausak's daughter Zhanna Godkin, whose mother was a goddess, assinated him, and married the third oldest prince of Tusaine, Jonathan. My mother was their granddaughter. Ever since my mother's death, hard times have fallen on Scanra. My father was removed from the throng, and is now trying desperately to get it back. My father is called the warlord, though his intentions are far better than any other warlord in exsistance. Scanra is now full of warlords. The people are no longer united. There is civil war. I know there is only one way to stop this. I must leave. When I am old enough, I will come back, uniting Scanra just as my great ancestor, Zhanna Godkin. I will avenge my mothers death, and I will gain the throng back. For my mother and for Zhanna Godkin, I swear I will get the throng back. 


	2. Ilusen

7-year-old Zhanna Godkova rode on a palamino through a drear country side. The road was dry and dusty. The air was dry. Even the few plants that were alive were dry, more teal in color than green. Not for the first time, she thought 'this is insane, what am I doing? I'm 7-years-old and already leaving home.' 'I mean, I can't fight, and I don't have the gift, at least I don't think so.' Zhanna had many doubts rushiong through her head. If banits attacked, she would make it through the fight. By this time she was thinking she was quiet an idiot. 'Oh well, to late to turn back now' she thought as she stopped and set camp to eat lunch. The place she had stopped seemed nicer than every other place around her. Birds sang and the trees were vibrant green. Bright soft moss covered the ground. Berries and fruit were everywhere. It was beatiful, yet creepy. 'Scanra never looks like this, never.' 'It always is sparse of food and all around drab.' This clearing looked like the Divine Realms to her. 'Might as well make the best of it', she thought as she got up to pick the fruit. She ate a good amount, and stored the rest in her pack. She took one of the apples she found and gave it to her horse, Sunshine. Sitting down, she decided to rest. 'No hurry, it's not like I have anywhere to go.' She fell asleep the second she closed her eyes. When she woke, it was dark. There was a fire going. 'Wait, a fire!' She got up, panicked.  
  
"Who's there?" she yelled  
  
"Only I, a poor traveler." Came a voice  
  
"How do I know that?" she asked, suspicous  
  
"You don't, I only can rely on your trust." The voice answered  
  
"Show yourself!" yelled Zhanna  
  
At that, a woman appeared. She had waist-length soft brown hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a simple green dress, with only a emerald at the waist to show that this woman wasn't just a poor traveler. The cloak she wore was also simple, with another emerald at the neck. She was strikingly beautiful, at least to Zhanna, who had short blond hair and blue- eyes, like any other Scanran.  
  
"Hello, Zhanna Godkova, I am Ilusen." Said the woman, Ilusen  
  
"How did you know my name?" asked Zhanna, trying to think of where she had heard the name Ilusen before.  
  
"I know many things, Zhanna Godkova." Replied Ilusen  
  
'Wait, Ilusen! Now she remembered where she had heard Ilusen before. Ilusen was the Goddess of the woods. People were have said to meet her only in one place, a thriving area with fuits and berries called Ilusen's Glade. This must be Ilusen's Glade!'  
  
"You are Ilusen, the Goddess of the wood?" asked Zhanna, astonished  
  
"I am she." Replied Ilusen  
  
"I am sorry for being rude, but why visit me?" questioned Zhanna  
  
"Because your quest is a noble one, and I wish to help you. You will trek for two years in the wilderness, and a the end you will meet to people who will be good to you. They are Jasson and Melanie, prince and thief. You will be great friends with them. Then with them you will wander through through the wilderness for 5 years, finally going to Tortall." Said Ilusen  
  
"Wow. Me though, why me?" Zhanna wondered out loud  
  
"Because you are like Zhanna Godkin, and I helped her to unite Scanra, so I will help you. I am giving you the Gift, it will help you greatly on Journey." Said Ilusen, and with that, she left.  
  
"That was very strange." Zhanna told Sunshine (her horse), who just neighed in reply.  
  
"Oh well, we had best get going." Said Zhanna, who then started to pack up to leave the beautiful glade. 


	3. Sandy, or Muddy?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ilusen or Ilusen's glade, that's neopet's, but I do own the idea about Ilusen being a goddess.  
  
Zhanna rode Sunshine out of the glade, and was amazed by the complete dreariness of Scanra. There was little green anywhere. She sighed, wondering where she should go. 'I need to find some one to teach me to fight, and how to use my gift.'  
  
'Not likely to find some one like that in this rundown country.' A voice in her mind said  
  
"What?!" she said out loud, "You are you?"  
  
'Sunshine, the horse your sitting on.'  
  
"Horse!" she yelled, "Horses can't-"  
  
'No, humans can't hear us, except people with wild magic.'  
  
"But-" she protested, "I have wild magic! Ilusen said she gave me the gift, not wild magic!"  
  
'She did, you already had wild magic.'  
  
"Any more suprises?" moaned Zhanna  
  
"Yup!" said a voice  
  
"Who are you?" whined Zhanna  
  
"I am Sandy." He replied grasiously  
  
The boy who the voice belonged to then stepped out of the bushes. He had hair that might have once been blond, but was now more of a mud color. His breeches and shirt that might have been white once were torn and he wore no shoes. He looked like he a jumped into a puddle of mud. The only thing that was not drade or dirty in his apperence were his sparkling green eyes, full of mischeif.  
  
"You look more like Muddy." Remarked Zhanna  
  
"My delicate feelings have been hurt, oh the pain!" he fake moaned  
  
"When was the last time you took a bath?" she asked, "Because you may look like mud, but you smell like dung."  
  
"The pain!" he cried  
  
Zhanna just rolled her eyes. Then there was a noise, just a branch cracking. Somehow, Zhanna knew it wasn't an animal. Sandy, shut up then, and started glowing green.  
  
"Sh" he said, "I think it's bandits."  
  
At his words, ten heavily armed men charged out of the bush.  
  
"Uh oh." Said Zhanna 


End file.
